Today I Learned

Well, I guess it depends entirely on what you could do about it. If the crepitus was brought about by chronic malmechanics then yes. If it was hereditarily driven then there's nothing you could do about it. Typically, I preach to my patients that popping, clicking, snapping, etc. are only notable if they induce pain or if they were brought about by a change in activity.

A secondary note on pain is that it's part of the human condition. Pain is relative and inevitable. If you live your life in a bubble then a sprained ankle is going to feel like a gunshot wound. There will always be some form pain or soreness. The trick is to address it as it comes about and shift it to the next weakest link in the chain. If you have low back pain, strengthen your core to treat it. Then that pain may shift to your hips where you have overactive or weak abductors, then it may be your neck. Who knows. But there's few things as debilitating as chronic pain in one location. The more painful it gets, the less you'll want to use it and you end up building a positive feedback loop.

In short, no processed foods or highly refined oils

Prednisone is my rescue medication for flares, not my normal treatment. Hence why I thought I might take it just today.

I’m on two meds, one that came out in 2019. I’ve been diagnosed for a year this month, and I have cycled through five or so drugs to finally land on a combo that actually controls the pain. The current inflammation is unlike what I’ve experienced regularly before, in that it is purely swelling with no pain, but I also have a reasonable theory as to the cause. I plan to bring it up at my next appointment regardless.

Thankfully an RA diagnosis today is extremely different than one even 20 years ago, and I’ve only had it since the start of 2025. There are a lot of good options for meds, and there are some very promising long-term treatments on the horizon.

If actuarial tables estimate correctly, I’ll have around 40 years to live with this shit. My hope is for a cure before that happens (there has been enough advancement in autoimmune treatment even in just the last 5 years that it’s not a total pipe dream).

All that said, after spending most of 2025 with intolerable pain in my hands, I know if something prevents me from getting treatment long-term (like a societal collapse, not like pharmacy challenges), I expect I would find a way to …opt out. I was losing my mind until I found treatment that works (at least most of the time… this week is thankfully the exception now).

As for prednisone, I have extremely few side effects from it and no hyperactivity at all. I took it often from my diagnosis last May through this January. The first time was doses from 2.5–30 mg a day (normally 10–15) for most of 3 months straight. I had zero complaints while on it; however, upon stopping I was exhausted for about three days straight. Tired to the bone kind of feeling.

I ended up back on it for another 3 months, at or below 10 mg daily and I tapered more slowly, so the tiredness was much more manageable that time.

Like another commenter said, that’s a lot to expect of a pre-teen. I’m sorry you had to see that so young.

No rheumatoid arthritis here but took Prednisone for an issue I had for a few weeks and I did not notice any sort of hyperactivity. And most others I talked to did not either although several did.

In my pre-teens, my mother sent me to live with and care for her in final years

I imagine this to be no easy task for anyone, especially a pre-teen.

@Reyali @bizarroland TIL That there is no clinical evidence that turmeric offers any health benefit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric?wprov=sfla1